How well do you know your child's backpack?

Published on January 31, 2018

According to study conducted by the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, 90% of school children have bad posture when carrying their bags and could experience spinal injury as a result, while 75% are not using their backpack’s ergonomic features which could prevent such injury.

1. The total weight of the backpack should only amount to _____ % of a child’s body weight?

a. 10 – 15%

b. 15 – 20%

c. 20 – 25%

2. To reduce strain on your child’s back, place the heaviest items ___________?

a. Further from their back

b. Closest to their back

c. At the bottom

3. The correct way to wear a back pack in order to reduce pain and/or injury, is to ______?

a. Use both shoulder straps but ignore the waist or chest straps

b. Use one shoulder strap

c. Use both shoulder straps as well as the chest and waist straps

4. If your child is leaning forward when walking this means that _______?

a. There is not enough weight in the back pack

b. There is too much weight in the back pack

c. They need to stand up straighter

Answers:

1) A – The total weight of the backpacks should only amount to 10 – 15% of a child’s body weight. Ensure the weight is distributed evenly across your child’s back. The more spread out a load is, the less strain it puts on one part of the body.

3) C – The correct way to wear a back pack is to use both shoulder straps as well as the chest and waist straps, this will reduce pressure on the spine and shoulders as well as the likelihood of injury.

Strap in and buckle up! Adjust shoulder straps so the back pack fits close to the upper part of the body. The further away the back pack is from the body the more difficult it is to achieve proper balance.

4) B – If your child is leaning forward when walking this means that there is too much weight in the back pack. The long-term effects of carrying a heavy backpack that your child could experience include strained neck and shoulders leading to headaches, damage to the spine, reduced breathing capacity due to poor posture, as well as back pain and muscle spasms.